Expedia Group Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:EXPE)

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) was the target of unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Traders purchased 17,156 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 81% compared to the typical daily volume of 9,467 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on EXPE shares. B. Riley reduced their price target on Expedia Group from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on shares of Expedia Group from $190.00 to $175.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $135.00 target price (down previously from $152.00) on shares of Expedia Group in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Expedia Group from $136.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. Finally, Susquehanna reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Expedia Group in a research report on Wednesday, May 15th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $147.70.

Expedia Group Price Performance

Expedia Group stock traded up $4.88 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $117.00. 1,435,186 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,402,041. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.93. Expedia Group has a 12 month low of $92.48 and a 12 month high of $160.05. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $124.59 and its 200-day moving average is $130.16. The stock has a market cap of $15.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.88, a PEG ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.78.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Lance A. Soliday sold 544 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.38, for a total transaction of $61,678.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 11,187 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,268,382.06. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director Craig A. Jacobson sold 6,722 shares of Expedia Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.71, for a total value of $757,636.62. Following the sale, the director now owns 32,620 shares in the company, valued at $3,676,600.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Lance A. Soliday sold 544 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.38, for a total transaction of $61,678.72. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 11,187 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,268,382.06. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 8.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Expedia Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Managment Co. purchased a new position in Expedia Group in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Expedia Group by 4,525.0% in the 1st quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 185 shares of the online travel company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in Expedia Group in the second quarter worth $27,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Expedia Group by 93.8% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 217 shares of the online travel company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Expedia Group in the first quarter valued at $40,000. 90.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Expedia Group Company Profile

Expedia Group, Inc operates as an online travel company in the United States and internationally. The company operates through B2C, B2B, and trivago segments. Its B2C segment includes Brand Expedia, a full-service online travel brand offers various travel products and services; Hotels.com for lodging accommodations; Vrbo, an online marketplace for the alternative accommodations; Orbitz, Travelocity, Wotif Group, ebookers, CheapTickets, Hotwire.com and CarRentals.com.